Trailers with roller support have been developed for transporting construction materials from supply sites to job sites. Oversized materials, such as roof trusses, require cranes and similar large systems to load and unload onto trailers, and the cranes may not be available at remote jobsite locations for unloading. To address the issue of unloading oversized materials without the availability of a large crane or similar equipment, trailers with roller supports can be used.
To unload materials using a trailer with roller supports at a job site, the operator first unfastens any straps securing the load to the trailer. Each of the rollers must be unlocked, to allow for rotation. The brakes of the rollers must be loosened, and the front of the trailer bed is lifted to provide an incline towards the rear of the trailer. As the material begins to move across the rollers, the operator may adjust the braking tension of the rollers to retard the movement and slow the motion of the material. This braking action is provided to prevent the material from rolling off the trailer at a speed that might cause damage to the building material or objects at the job site.
Traditional braking systems use pneumatic powered brake shoes underneath one end of the rollers. A manual valve controls the amount of air leaving the pneumatic source, which then moves the brake pads from an unengaged position to engaging the bottom side of the rollers. The pneumatic braking system utilizes pneumatic systems likely to be available on the trailer, but the braking system adds considerable weight and cost to the roller trailer.
The locking system is separate from the pneumatic braking system, using mechanical pins that protrude through holes in each of the rollers to prohibit the rotation of the rollers. The locking system is used to prevent the rotation of the rollers in transport. The pin lock system suffers from faults if debris during the transportation phase interferes with the locks being extracted from the rollers. There is a need in the art for a solution which overcomes the drawbacks described above.